Some comments posted on the web by UNC fans & writers
From Inside Carolina's Fly On The Wall:
Did anyone honestly believe Carolina was going to come back and win the game? Quite simply, the mystique is gone under the current
regime.
From ACC Boards.com
This is crazy! No D! No O! No Hustle! No Heart! No chance at 20 wins this year!
Get the old man out!!!!!
The team is reflecting the attitude of their coach...THAT IS BAD!!
Gut do us all a favor and STEP DOWN!!!!!
From ACC Boards.com
Although he has expressed an interest in coaching for a long time, Gut is in the 3rd year of a five year contract. If we are lucky we get a new
leader in 2 years. We should support him while he is here. He is a good man and is doing the best he knows how.
From ACC Boards.com
So much is made on this board about Chicken Little fans, bandwagon fans and just about anyone else who criticizes Gut.
I'll get this out of the way first- I think we should keep Gut.
That being said, I refuse to be an 'ostrich fan' and stick my head in the sand looney tunes style when there is something bad going on. Our team plays with no emotion and I'll attribute that to our coaching staff. No emotions=mediocre season.
Just because I criticize Gut for some things does not mean that I can't support the man or the team. I think that because I support Gut and the team I have a right and a duty to talk about the good and the bad.
Let's make sure (I am NOT pointing fingers...) that those accusing people of being 'chicken little' fans don't become 'ostrich' fans and
ignore bad things happening with the team.
GO HEELS!
From ACC Boards.com
There's nothing else to say after that. We suck!
From Peegs' Site, by Peegs
The UNC fans are hammering Guthridge after losing again, this time in a more embarrasing fashion last night.
This version of Carolina reminds me some of some of our teams a couple years ago. Talent but not good "basketball players."
Here is an excellent post by a Tar Heel fan on a UNC board that makes that
comparison...
We got beat by better BASKETBALL players last night. Almost to a man, IU's starting five is comprised of better basketball players than is UNC's. (I won't even discuss the bench players.)
While this IU team will not overwhelm teams with athleticism, I will say they are every bit as athletic as the Carolina team. IU's players understand all aspects of the game and I don't think
Carolina's do. IU is better postitioned defensively, they set solid screens, as well as set their man up to rub him off of the screens. They move the ball better and they rotate better defensivley, and they have better on court leadership. Some will say this is coaching related, and maybe it is, but for the past 6 years, IU had some highly touted and athletically gifted players that did not
understand the game nearly as well as this years version. What I am saying, is that sometimes a coach can preach and teach basketball, but some players just don't grasp the concept. I think we
have a few of those, much like IU has had in the past few years. I hope we can find the competitiveness and the basketball instincts that appear to be missing from this group. I think
Forte is competitive and has good basketball sense, but he can't be expected to carry the load - especially as a freshman. I think Lang is competitive and has good instincts also. I have heard for a year and a half that Capel has it, but I have yet to see it. Cota appears to have lost it, as well as the on court leadership that he displayed the previous 3 years. Owens - well, most people know my take on Max.
More From Peegs' Board
He's definitely too laid back and it's hurting his very talented team. They seem to lack the focus and intensity that it takes to win at the top levels here. Perhaps the team is too young, or the
upcoming trial for Cota and Newby is taking its toll on team morale, but it's the job of a strong coach get his team to overcome these obstacles and it doesn't appear to be Gut's nature to do that.
However, I'm not so sure that Roy Williams is the answer. Roy is a tremendous recruiter but also isn't known for getting all that much out of his talent. UNC would be a perfect fit for a guy like
Jim Carmody of Princeton or that Monsoon guy at Minnesota or even Dick Bennett of Wisconsin who have excellent reputations for developing talent. UNC is in an ideal position where they can
recruit soley on the reputation of the school and conference and they are located in a hotbed for bluechip talent.
More From Peegs' Board
The main problem UNC has is they are a slow team. Cota is a clever guard in space- but lacks the quickness to create space for himself in the halfcourt. Their froncourt Lange-Haywood and
Capel also lacks quickness- an average Louisville team killed them getting to loose balls and attacking the basket from the wing. If Jeffries is not significantly better than Capel - he will have a
hard time getting playing time at IU next year (I have a feeling he is significantly better). If anything I would say the UNC players are smarter basketball players than they are physically gifted- the
only player that has both athleticism and skill is Forte.
More From Peegs' Board
In part because of injuries to Lang and Bersticker, who can take some of the pressure off the foul-prone Haywood, who is somewhat soft, relatively unlearned and mostly confused -- somewhat
like Andrae Patterson was his first three years at IU. BH had zero coaching in high school. Moreover, the Heels have to get Max Owens more involved.
Plus, don't discount this. There is a very dark cloud hanging over the program. Two players, including point guard Ed Cota, have a criminal trial coming up next month. The charge: assaulting
fellow Tar Heel students. It may be hard to wriggle out of this one.
Finally, it ain't very easy playing games on Tuesday and Thursday night. You have to travel Wednesday. At least in the NCAA Tournament you are able to relax in the hotel and get your legs back.
Traveling takes a lot out of you, even if you are 20 years old.
Coach Gut is also starting to feel the heat down here because people are saying "How can you lose to Utah in the Final Four with Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison on your team?" Carter
suddenly is one of the young studs in the NBA, a human highlight film.
Yes, Bloom, Gut was given the job for being loyal for three decades and Dean set him up nicely. But now, if he stumbles a bit, like when Bartow stumbled a bit at UCLA, the legend's shadow will
be too large and the-bring-in-Roy-Williams chorus will grow and grow and grow. And with Phil Ford having shot himself in the foot, Williams is the de facto heir apparent. Gut is older than RMK.
More From Peegs' Board
I don't think that is the case in North Carolina. They have good basketball players. Haywood, who is a bit soft at times, is still a strong inside presence, and Lang has good abilities with his back to
the basket. Capel is comparable to Jeffries in terms of height and skills. Cota is one of the best guards in the country at setting up his teammates. Owens is an athletic "2" who can shoot, and
Forte is going to be a great basketball player.
The problem with Gutheridge is his approach to his team. One of the first things said about Guthridge was that he was more laid back than Dean Smith. I didn't think that was possible. They don't play with much, and they really don't have a focus on the floor. There just isn't the execution and sharpness they almost always had with Dean Smith.
Again, we can talk all we want about a team having "talent but not good 'basketball players'", but the reality is is that Guthridge decides who play, and players will do what a coach lets them do.
Guthridge reminds me too much of the guy who took over Coach K when he was down with back surgery, too much of a players' coach. What was it? Last year or the year before we heard, "I
couldn't decide who of the 6 should start, so we rotate them." I can't imagine Knight ever taking that approach. He may change his lineup based upon the opponent's personnel, but I don't see
him worrying about who gets to start and who doesn't.
Guthridge is a stop-gap between Dean Smith and Roy Williams.